Most pregnancy books that I get asked to review are about taking care of your baby, or preparing for birth. Very few of them talk about the mental health and well-being of the pregnant mother, and even less focus solely on the mother’s health as a whole.
The Mindful Way Through Pregnancy by Susan Piver seemed like a welcome change, since it promised to focus primarily on the pregnant mother, promoting whole health and well-being, featuring a unique blend of authors with expert advice and experience in mental, physical, and spiritual health.
This book combines several components of conscious living, including meditation, yoga, and journaling, to give you a truly mindful experience through your pregnancy. It comes with a CD of guided meditations that help you relieve stress, let go of fears, reach a level of deep relaxation, and bond with your baby.
Inner Wellness
I found this book especially unique because, instead of constantly looking ahead to the birth, this book focuses on your present feelings in the ‘here and now’.
It promotes a deep connection with your baby and your pregnancy and includes many thought provoking pieces that explore feelings and encourage you to make conscious decisions about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Physical Wellness
In addition to its more thoughtful pieces, The Mindful Way Through Pregnancy includes yoga and relaxation exercises that you can use for the rest of your life, but that are particularly helpful during pregnancy.
I have been doing beginning yoga for awhile, so I’ve done a small variety of poses. The poses in this book are basic, but they feel great, are beneficial, and are easy to perform no matter what your level of physical fitness.
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Though it’s practices and ideas have strong roots in Buddhism, this is not a religious book. These concepts can be adapted to any belief system and are about promoting peace within yourself, with your pregnancy, and with others.
I love this book because of it’s holistic approach to woman’s health and well-being during pregnancy. I would recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy their pregnancy more, increase their awareness of themselves and their baby, bond deeply with their baby, and become healthier inside and out.
Buy The Mindful Way Through Pregnancy on Amazon.com
** Note: I received this book as a free review copy and was not compensated in any way for the writing of this review.
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
